


A Direct Proposal.

by BarPurple



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Arranged Marriage, F/M, Knight!Rumple, Lady!Belle
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-28
Updated: 2018-01-26
Packaged: 2018-12-20 23:37:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,158
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11931726
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BarPurple/pseuds/BarPurple
Summary: Lady Belle is not going to stand by and simperingly accept the husband her father has chosen for her. Her plan to prevent her marriage is bold, and full of dangers. The plan the knight she wants to marry suggests is no less fraught with danger, but it will give them the chance to truly come to know each other.





	1. Chapter 1

Belle had not slept well last night. Anger was not conducive to a restful night, and she had retired to her chamber furious. The desire to slap the proud look from her father’s face still lingered in her hand. Sometime around midnight she had stopped herself asking how he could do this, and begun asking herself how can I prevent this? She had come up with a plan. 

In the cool light of morning she could understand how her father had been taken in by Sir Gaston, she almost had been. Gaston was everything a lady was supposed to dream for in an ideal suitor; tall, muscular and handsome, but Belle found his habit of looming over her claustrophobic and unsettling; the handsome eyes that the other ladies mooned over looked cold and harsh to her. He had flawless courtly manners among his peers and betters, and could spout poetic compliments. The perfect picture of knightly gentility in company, but unbeknownst to him Belle had seen him cuff a stable hand across the face for taking too long to ready his horse. Her maid, Ruby, had reported seeing him in the tavern on several occasions pawing at the serving wenches and making crude jokes at the expense of his fellow knights. As well-read as Belle was she knew that his flowery compliments were not his own words as he claimed, but the work of great poets and bards. She might have been impressed had he given credit where it was due, but she’d discovered that he hadn’t even read the words he shamelessly stole; his man Lefou read the works of literature and fed the best lines to his master.

No, Sir Gaston was not all he appeared to be; under that face he presented to the court was a cruelty that Belle feared she had only seen the slimmest part of. She dragged her brush through her hair with force and winced when she tugged at her scalp. Her father had looked so pleased with himself last night when he told her that he had a special announcement to make at the start of the harvest feast. It had taken Belle all of five minutes to wheedle enough clues from him to deduce his plans. His expectation that she would soon be enjoying the sunnier climes of the Southlands was enough to confirm her suspicions. Her father was planning to betroth her to Sir Gaston, the only knight at court from that region. The very thought of being bound to such a deceptive man had been enough to sour Belle’s stomach. She had used the rising bile as an excuse to retire early from the night, and spent the time planning her escape. Her plan was drastic and rested upon her having correctly judged the character of another knight, Sir Rumplestiltskin.

Rumplestiltskin was the very opposite of Gaston. He stood only a few inches taller than Belle herself and was lean and wiry. The ladies of the court had declared his thin lips and long nose as unappealing, but Belle found his features pleasing. His rich brown eyes were kind and sparkled when he smiled. He was an excellent swordsman; none had yet bested him in the practise ring, but he did not laud his victories over his opponents, instead he always offered a hand to shake and congratulated them on a bout well fought. Ruby had reported that the servants liked him as he was thoughtful and polite even when none of his peers were present to witness his actions. For Belle the most delightful thing about this quiet knight was that he was an avid reader. The first time she had met him was in the library, a place she was used to having almost to herself. He had been so absorbed in his chosen book that he had not noticed her enter until she cleared her throat. He had jumped to his feet with an apology for his a lack of manners and a blush on his cheeks. She had forestalled his stammering offer to leave her in peace by asking his opinion on the book he’d been reading; that had been the first of many conversations about literature they had shared. Belle had delighted in his lively mind and the way he honestly listened to her thoughts on the merits of various authors.

They had been coming to know each other slowly, and Belle was sure that had her father not forced her hand by promising it to Gaston she and Rumplestiltskin could have enjoyed a gentle courtship that would have formed the base for a strong and happy marriage. She sighed at the loss of something so special, it was not to be. Now she had to hope that he would not be offended by her bold plan, if he was she stood to lose his friendship and more.

“My Lady? He is here.”

Ruby was anxiously chewing her lip; “Are you sure about this?”

She wasn’t, but what other choice did she have? Belle squared her shoulders and hoped she sounded more confident than the butterflies in her stomach suggested.

“I am certain that I do not want to marry Gaston. This is the only way I can see to avoid that without ending up in the hands of the clerics.”

Ruby grimaced at the mention of her father’s favoured holy men. She gave a swift nod; “I’ll be standing by with the poppy dust should things not go well.”

They shared a look of determination and put the plan into motion.

Rumple entered with a shy smile which turned into a slight frown when he observed Belle’s state of dress. She was clad in a light nightgown and robe, not by any means indecent, but hardly appropriate for receiving a man into her chambers.

“Have I arrived too early, my lady? Shall I return once you have finished dressing?”

“You have arrived exactly when I asked you too. My state of dress will be explained in but a moment.”

Belle took his hand to lead him to the couch. He followed hesitantly and perched on the very edge of the velvet cushions. Now the moment had come Belle found it difficult to give voice to her carefully planned words.

“My lady, what is wrong?”

“My father has decided to marry me to Sir Gaston.”

Shock and disappointment flickered across Rumple’s face. He quickly schooled his features, but did not offer bland words of congratulations.

“Is this what you want, Belle?”

His question gave her confidence, and the fact he had slipped and used her name in such a familiar way.

“Most certainly not! My father will not be swayed unless there is irrefutable proof that I am already pledged to another.”

Rumple’s thumb rubbed across his fingers as he considered her words.

“A contract of betrothal would prove that, but your father would have to have signed such a document. There is of course… oh.”

He blinked and swallowed heavily as his eyes flickered over her gown. Belle gave him an encouraging smile, and hoped that he would put her plan into words. He did not disappoint her.

“If you were intimate with a beau before your father made the announcement…”

He stammered to a halt, a blush colouring his cheeks. Now the plan had been spoken aloud Belle found it easier to continue; “Then my father would have no choice but to accept my choice and announce my beau as my betrothed.”

Rumple rose to his feet and began to pace before the fireplace. For a brief instant Belle feared that she had misjudged him. She glanced to the corner where Ruby had seated herself and saw that her maid had abandoned her sewing and was reaching for her pocket. Rumple suddenly stopped.

“For this to work you would have to be caught in a compromising situation with your beau. Is that why you have requested my presence? So I can confirm to your father that you have pre-empted the marriage vows with your beau?”

Belle gave a frustrated sigh. Clearly tiptoeing around the delicate matter had left room for confusion.

“Rumplestiltskin you are the beau I wish to be discovered in flagrante with.”

His wide eyed gape made her doubt the relationship she had thought was forming between them.

“I understand that this is a direct and immodest proposal, but I had believed that we were developing an understanding…”

Disappointment stole her voice and she sagged in on herself. This was not going as she had hoped at all.

With a fast stride he crossed the distance between them and dropped to his knee before her.

“Lady Belle, I had been planning to ask your permission to speak to your father about a formal courtship between us.”

Her heart soared. He had wanted her permission before wooing her, it wasn’t required as Gaston had proved, but that Rumple had wanted to ask her before moving their relationship along the path that led to marriage was proof that he was the better man.

“I would have given my permission gladly, but my father’s plan to announce my engagement at the feast this evening changes matters. Would you be willing to hurry things along?”

He gently took her hand; “What exactly is your plan?”

Belle glanced at the timepiece on the mantel, they did not have long.

“Lady Mary Margaret is due to take tea with me here at eleven. My hope was that you would agree to become my husband and she would discover us consummating our engagement.”

He gave a soft chuckle; “A wise choice. Lady Mary Margaret’s reputation is as white as snow, but she cannot keep a secret should her life depend on it.”

“My thoughts precisely. The whole court would know of our relationship with in the hour.”

Rumple nodded, but made no move to begin.

“This is a drastic measure. I know you will not have come to this decision lightly, but might I offer a possibility that you have not considered?”

Belle’s eyes darted to the clock again, there was less than half an hour before eleven.

“If you can be quick.”

He nodded curtly and began; “The Frontlands has a tradition, we call it marriage by abduction. It is not a shocking or uncivilised as it sounds, in fact there are very formal rules governing an abduction. I would take you from here to my home, with your maid as chaperon, and then I have seven days to win your hand.”

Belle had never heard of this tradition and her curiosity was aroused, but she didn’t feel now was the time to indulge. There were several problems that she could see with this plan.

“What is to stop father sending the guard to retrieve me? I would be in no better position than if Ruby and I had absconded in the night.”

A crease formed between Rumple’s brow; “Your father is bound by the laws of abduction. Has he never told you how he came to marry your mother?”


	2. Chapter 2

Maurice was strolling through the castle observing the preparations for the Harvest Celebration when he spotted a gaggle of giggling maids mooning over something in the courtyard. He smiled to himself, the Harvest always raised spirits and caused more marriages then the First Bloom of Spring. He ambled over to see what had caught their attention, he always liked to be aware of the courtships of his household. He’d been expecting to see a page or squire doing some heavy lifting or such, so the sight of his own daughter, clad in her nightgown and robe caused him to stumble.

What the bloody hell was going on? He strode forward only to stop dead in his tracks as the masked man a few feet from her came into view. A masked man wearing a tunic striped of the emblems of his house, holding the reins of two horses.

A memory, some twenty years old rose in his mind. At that time, he had been stood where masked man was now, with his darling Collette standing by his side, wearing a pair of britches beneath her ballgown, ready for their flight from her father’s castle. He squinted at the fella, trying to discern his identity, for he was far too slight for Sir Gaston, besides the Southlands had never adopted this tradition. He had honestly thought that this would never happen, Marriage by Abduction had never been in vogue in Avonlea, or the larger kingdoms of Misthaven, but he remembered well the part he was honour-bounded to play now.

“Halt! What is the meaning of this Sir!”

The masked man swivelled on his toe and suddenly Maurice knew exactly who was Abducting Belle; Sir Rumplestiltskin. The revelation filled him with some sense of calm, he at least understood the rules of this particular courtship.

“I abduct your daughter with a view to marriage, if she consents.”

Maurice bit back a smile at the shrill, twittering cadence the knight had given to his voice, it was a damn sight better than his own attempt to disguise his identity. His darling Collette had developed a sudden coughing fit when he’d spoked similar words to her father in his best impression of a Frontlands’ accent.

“And how can I be assured of my daughter’s honour and virtue Sir?”

That wasn’t quite what Collette’s father had said to him, but there had never been an exact script to follow for this, as long as certain elements were observed then any words were acceptable. Collette’s father had pushed that to the limits with a hefty dose of vulgar insults thrown at him, but he wasn’t going to subject Belle’s would-be suitor to the same. The masked man drew his dagger, and several of the men that had gathered to watch the spectacle moved forward with their hands on their swords.

“Halt! No one will move against this man without my express permission. There will be no interference. Is that understood?”

Maurice’s bellow was obeyed by all, he inclined his head slightly to Rumplestiltskin, who gave no acknowledgement of his permission to continue. He swivelled again to present the unsheathed dagger to Belle hilt first.

“By mine own blade she shall draw my blood should I or any of my house offend her,” – a slow gesture of his free hand beckoned Belle’s maid Ruby forward, - “and a lady she trusts will be present at all times, this I swear to you my Lord.”

Maurice held his breath waiting for Belle to take the dagger. If she refused it, he would let the guards tackle the presumptuous knight and beat him, he might even go as far as unmasking him and locking him in the stocks for a day if Belle voiced a single word against his conduct. Belle’s fingers wrapped around the hilt of the blade and she extended her other hand to Rumplestiltskin.

“I accept your dagger and grant you seven days to convince me of your worth.”

With Belle’s consent the masked man took her hand and pulled her in close. There were a few startled gasps at the boldness, but they turned into sighs as he gracefully swung her up onto his horse while controlling her gown in order to protect her modesty. Maurice was impressed that he spared Ruby a glance and ensured that she was seated on her horse before he swung himself into the saddle behind Belle. He wheeled the horse and trotted over to Maurice, this is where he would find out if he assumption that the masked man was indeed Rumplestiltskin. A folded scrap of parchment was dropped into his hand and Belle and her Abductor galloped out of the courtyard followed closely by Ruby.

Maurice looked down at the parchment and smiled at the spinning wheel pressed into the pale blue sealing wax.

“Oh Collette, if only you could see how much like you our daughter is.”

He had no time for fond reminiscing as the nobles descended upon him demanding answers for the strange events of the past few moments.

“My Lord! Why did you allow this?”

“What is going on, mi’lord?”

“An Abduction, oh I’ve not seen one in decades!”

One voice that was absent from the general clamour was that of Sir Gaston. Maurice frowned, surely someone would have run to him and told him what was going on? Perhaps he was out on an early ride. He raised his hands and when that didn’t silence the gabbling mass he raised his voice.

“Silence. My council will meet in half an hour to discuss this matter,” – he waited a beat as the disappointed mumble ran around the crowd, council meetings were closed matters, usually, - “The meeting will be in the great hall and open to all.”

He turned away and walked inside. The meeting was going to be a riot, but at least the court would have a first-hand explanation of the Laws governing Marriage by Abduction, with any luck that would prevent some of the more scandalous rumours from developing further.

As the thrill of his announcement ran around the rest of the castle Maurice hurried away to his chambers. He needed time to collect himself before the meeting. He took the portrait of his darling Collette from the desk and sat down heavily in his chair.

“I always hoped you would be watching over her my love. Is Gaston such a bad match that you had to interfere from beyond?”

He stoked his finger over the portrait, and sighed. He tried to be a good father to Belle, but as she had grown he’d felt more adrift. Belle had become more and more like his lost love; she devoured books just like her mother. It was her love of books that had caused his council to suggest Sir Gaston as a suitable match.

“After all, mi’lord, at the rate Lady Belle consumes romance novels, her expectations for a handsome hero will be very high, and none is so handsome, nor as beneficial as the son of the Southlands.”

Maurice huffed to himself, he had known in his heart that Belle read more than novels, but she was older than most brides and he had allowed his worries for her future to cloud his judgement. He pressed a brief kiss to the portrait.

“I am sorry my folly disturbed your rest my darling. I will see that Belle has the marriage she wants. Although is looks like she has taken matters in hand herself.”

He returned the portrait to its place and rang for his page.

“I need to speak to Widow Lucas privately before the meeting. Oh, and find out where Sir Gaston has gotten to, and inform him of the meeting, please.”

He was lost in his own thoughts and did not notice how the page’s face fell at the instruction to find Sir Gaston.


End file.
